


I'm Older Now, but Not Done Hoping

by xxPayne



Series: Unrelated Short AU's/Drabbles [1]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Christmas, Fluff, Hot Chocolate, Kid Fic, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Snow, Snowball Fight, i cannot stress this enough: this is FLUFF, yes i know its only novemBER
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-13
Updated: 2014-11-13
Packaged: 2018-02-25 07:15:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2613029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxPayne/pseuds/xxPayne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Louis is overwhelmed, not for the first time, by how much he just loves the Styles family. He reaches into his pocket, absentmindedly thumbing over the velvet box that he’s been placing there every day for months now."<br/>(or, Harry is a single father and Louis is his boyfriend)</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'm Older Now, but Not Done Hoping

**Author's Note:**

> So, it's November 13th! It may as well be Christmas morning! I live in Michigan so we've had snow for a few days, and I've just now gotten time to write about my great love for it. This was the product of that.  
> I hope someone enjoys this tooth-rottingly fluffy drabble thing, because I had so much fun writing it. That being said, I only read it through once, immediately after writing it (ill-advised), so this could be something I regret posting. Anyway, hopefully you'll think it's as sweet as I think it is :)
> 
> (Title from Cold December Night by Michael Buble, which I had on repeat for about an hour while writing this.)

As soon as Louis opens the door, a flurry of snowflakes make their home on the top of his head, settling there for just seconds before melting, quickly dampening his hair. He pats his front pocket to make sure his keys are in their place, squinting his eyes in order to see a little further through the thick wall of falling snowflakes. In the distance, he can barely make out the sight of a pair of young kids forming snowballs in their mittened hands, their father running outside with two scarves in his hand, quickly roping them around the children’s necks. Louis grins, bouncing down his front steps, onto his driveway—which really should be shoveled, except that Louis is most definitely going to wait until he can’t even back his car out of it—and looks both ways quickly before crossing the street.

“Lou!” the kids yell when he’s standing in front of them, as they already start tugging on the wool scarves that adorn their necks. “It’s snowing!”

He nods excitedly, scooping the little boy up in his arms and twirling him around. “It is!” Louis cries, kissing him on the forehead. Not two seconds later—and really, Louis should have known—he feels something hit him on the back of the head. He whirls around, pretending to look angry, scrunching his face up as he gently sets Danny onto the snow-covered pavement.

“Who did that?” Louis yells, one hand on his hip and the other wiping the snow off his hair. “They’re in _big_ trouble.”

Tiny, suppressed giggles erupt from behind where the little girl is covering her mouth. “Not me!” Erin says when she finally removes her hands. “I don’t know how to make snowballs! I don’t even know what a snowball is. Louis, what’s a snowball?”

She feigns innocence quite well, Louis thinks. “Oh, ha ha,” Louis says, dipping down to form an imperfect snowball in record time. Carefully, so he doesn’t hurt her, he hurls it at Erin’s back, laughing as she tries to run away. “Who’s laughing now?”

Of course, if Louis had known he’d be having an impromptu snowball fight, he would have worn mittens—but it’s not called impromptu for no reason, after all. So he powers through the stinging pain in his hands as he rolls snowball after snowball, slipping some into Danny’s hands so they can team up against Erin.

“Babe,” the kids’ father says, showing up in front of Louis with a pair of gloves in his own hands. “You’re going to freeze. Why does no one in this family but me want to stay warm?”

More disdainful muttering follows from Harry’s mouth, but Louis cuts him off with a kiss. “You’re too sweet for your own good,” Louis says, slipping the gloves onto his fingers. “I love you, you know.”

“’course you do, you sap,” Harry smiles cheekily, swatting Louis away. “Go have fun.”

Rolling his eyes fondly, Louis does just that, following in the direction Erin had run, only to see her conspiring with her brother.

“What’s this?” Louis cries. “Betrayal! Danny, we were on a _team_! Does that mean nothing to you?”

Hours pass, nothing but giggling and snow and then, later, hot chocolate being served in the dining room. Harry hums “All I Want for Christmas Is You” even though it’s only November, and the kids sing along to the only words they know (“Oh baby, all I want for Christmas is you”), and Louis is overwhelmed, not for the first time, by how much he just loves the Styles family. He reaches into his pocket, absentmindedly thumbing over the velvet box that he’s been placing there every day for months now. Louis pulls his hand out, gripping his steaming mug tightly between both hands.

“Sit down, please,” Louis says, catching Harry’s arm as he stands up, ready to head to the kitchen again, the third time in the past two minutes. “The kids can do without napkins for now.”

Harry sighs, sitting back down with a dubious smile. The phone rings, and Harry makes to reach for it, but stops himself. “I suppose the phone can do without being answered for now as well.”

Louis smiles, reaching for Harry’s hand and pressing his lips to the tops of his knuckles.

A mix of gagging noises and laughter sound from the children sitting on either side of them, making the two men duck their heads to hide their blushes. Louis lets Harry’s hand down, back to the table, but doesn’t let go of it, instead choosing to tangle their fingers together. Behind Harry, through the window, the snow is falling so fast that Louis wouldn’t be surprised if Erin and Danny didn’t have school tomorrow. Paired with Harry’s curls—more wavy than bouncy, as they used to be—the snowflakes seem to form a halo around the man’s head. Really, Louis thinks, Harry deserves a halo all the time; it suits him well.

“I love you,” Louis says, always a bit of a sap when the snow starts falling.

Instead of a cheeky answer, Harry just smiles and says, “I love you too.”

It feels right, Louis thinks, and really, that’s all he’s been waiting for. With a cursory glance towards Erin and Danny, who are dropping ten thousand marshmallows each into their hot cocoa, Louis reaches his left hand into his pocket again, briefly untangling his fingers from Harry’s in order to stand up and kneel on one knee next to his chair. He takes out the velvet box, holding it in the air for a second before opening it.

“Louis,” Harry gasps, eyes so wide Louis swears he can make out the specks of gold in them, even from his position on the floor. “What—Louis.”

Louis’ knee shakes so hard he’s worried he may collapse—and wouldn’t that be such a great story for the grandchildren?

There’s a million things he wants to say, things he’s practiced in front of the mirror and with his sister for ages, but his mind is blank, filled only with _Harry Harry Harry_ and _love love love._ “I love you, Harry,” he says, his eyes tearing up when he sees his boyfriend start to get emotional. “I know this isn’t the most—grand thing,” he stops, shaking his head with a laugh to clear the lump in his throat. “I’ve ever done for you, but—I love you so much, and I love Danny and Erin and I just really want—if you’ll let me—to marry you.”

The snow outside seems to pick up speed, catapulting down, and Louis has the fleeting thought that if Harry rejects him, he’ll have to make the sad, miserable trek back to his house in the middle of a blizzard—granted, it’s only a few feet, but a blizzard is a blizzard.

“Yes,” Harry cries after being stunned for what seemed to Louis an eternity. “God, _yes_ , Louis, oh my—oh my _God_ , yes.”

Relief and love and happiness and joy flood through Louis as he launches himself from the floor, pressing his lips to Harry’s immediately. With still-shaking hands, he slides the simple gold band onto Harry’s finger, catching Harry in another kiss half a beat later.

Low whispers interrupt them, the confused murmurs of small children next to them.

Harry turns his head a little, eyes shining with happy tears. “Hey, babes,” he says, calling himself to attention. “You guys love Louis a lot, right?”

Erin and Danny give their father a ‘ _duh’_ look, waiting for more.

“Would you be happy if he stayed with us for a while?” Harry asks, and then makes a face. “Well, more than a while. Let me just—you know how some of your friends have a Mommy and a Daddy?”

They nod, eyes shining with excitement. Erin pipes up, green eyes wide and so similar to Harry’s, “Is Louis going to be our Mommy?”

A laugh bubbles out of Harry’s throat, shaking his head quickly. “Not Mommy,” he says. “But—sort of. Louis can be a second Daddy. Is that okay?”

Unsurprisingly, both kids are overjoyed to hear that they’ll get double the love from now on, not that Louis hadn’t been giving them that already for five and a half years now. Within moments, Danny starts humming “All I Want for Christmas Is You” once more, to which Erin joins in and, of course, Harry too. Louis would, but he’s so happy he can’t bear to do anything except stare at his boyfriend—his _fiancé_ —and his children and try desperately not to cry.

“Make my wish come true,” Harry sings, voice soft and fond as he turns to Louis with light in his eyes. “All I want for Christmas is you.”

Louis wants to say something cheesy like, _“You already have me,”_ but he’s content to lean up for a kiss instead. The snow once again forms a halo around Harry’s head and Louis manages to choke out, “I love you, angel.”

It’s the best first snow Louis’ ever had.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments? Criticism? Kudos? :) x
> 
> (psst.... homelyrics.tumblr.com)


End file.
